This is an ASL video by Deaf certified ANFT guide, Summer Crider, explaining the details of this retreat, including some video clips of the Aspen Camp location.
Dartington Hall is the largest medieval manor in western England. With over 800 acres of verdant forests, abundant wildlife, and clear rivers, it serves as a wonderful backdrop for Forest Therapy Guide training. The training will be held on the Dartington Estate and no commuting will be necessary unless you are staying off-site. There may be one day when the group travels to a nearby location.
Registering for a training begins by completing an application which may take 20-30 minutes. This application is a way for us to get to know you and to determine if we think you will make a good forest therapy guide. Once your application is received, our admissions team will review it and, if you are accepted into the program, send an acceptance letter within three weeks. This letter will contain all the information for next steps, including a registration link to reserve your space in the training. To promote an optimal learning environment, we generally cap enrollment at 21 participants per training. Applications we receive after we have filled the training will be placed on a waitlist. If an accepted applicant drops out, we will contact the next applicant on the waitlist until the training is full again.
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Dartington Hall is the largest medieval manor in western England. With over 800 acres of verdant forests, abundant wildlife, and clear rivers, it serves as a wonderful backdrop for Forest Therapy Guide training. The training will be held on the Dartington Estate and no commuting will be necessary unless you are staying off-site. There may be one day when the group travels to a nearby location.
Private Student Accommodation:
Private, locking room with sink and access to shared bathrooms. Lodging includes breakfast only though other meals are available for purchase on site. Participants can book and pay directly through Dartington Hall. Reserved rooms for Perry (the private student accommodations) are £35 a night and include breakfast. Smoking is prohibited in accommodations. Towels and bedding will be provided. Check in on the first day will be at 2:00pm and check out on the last day will be at 10:00am. Participant s may store their bags in the meeting room on the final day after checking out.
There is also camping available. To inquire about camping, contact Dartington Hall directly. At the campsites, there will be hot and cold water, toilets, and pay shower facilities available. Electricity (available on accessible pitches only) costs extra but is available as well.
Reservations for rooms and camping can be made at reservations@dartingtonhall.com once you have confirmed your enrollment into the program. Please make sure to let them know that you are part of the ANFT group.
The nearest airport is located at Exeter, which is around a 30-40 minute drive. The nearest rail station is at Totnes, approximately 1.5 miles from Dartington. This is also a bus that serves Dartington Hall from Buckfastleigh and Totnes. Guests who have booked accommodations at Dartington Hall will be able to validate their vehicles at check-in.
Dartington Hall offers a helpful guide for getting to its grounds via bus, train, car, and bicycle. Click here
Our UK location is at Dartington Hall, the largest medieval manor house and property in the West of England.
Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.
Our trainers are among the most experienced guides in the world and each one undergoes a rigorous training process beyond their certification as guides. The trainers listed below are subject to change based on trainer availability. No matter which trainers you work with, you will be taught by the best in the field.
Summer , as a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, works in partnership with Nature to provide opportunities to help humans re-connect with the Earth and themselves.
Born and raised in the cypress swamp of North Florida, Summer has navigated through various life experiences as a human being who happens to be deaf. After getting their degrees in Expressive Art Therapy and Deaf Cultural Studies, and certified in American Sign Language, Summer taught ASL, Spanish, and Deaf Culture in various high schools and colleges/universities for 15+ years. They also established a media consulting business, making educational films accessible to the sign language community.
After they experienced some challenges with severe anxiety, Summer found Mother Nature calling them back home. Summer decided to study Nature and Forest Therapy through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy and eventually found a new purpose- assisting humans from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages to rediscover their connection with the Natural world through the healing practice of forest bathing.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Tamberly Kerr - Conway - PhD
Tamberly serves as an ANFT Certified Guide and ANFT Certified Forest Therapy Trail Consultant. Tamberly holds an MS and PhD in Forestry, with a focus upon Human Dimensions in Natural Resources, focusing upon diversity engagement, health and nature connections, forest health/human health relationships, and community empowerment in conservation.
Tahia Devischer - PhD
Tahia is a research and teaching fellow at the University of British Columbia. She holds a PhD in ecosystems science from the University of Oxford, and is a certified forest therapy guide with ANFT. She works at the nexus of urban forests, human well-being and climate resilience.
Our Mission: Support planetary health by nurturing heart-centered relationships between all peoples and the More-Than-Human World of Nature.
